The present invention relates to detachable umbrella covers.
Umbrellas with removable or replaceable covers provide obvious advantages and uses. They enable a person to fashion coordinate with that person's wardrobe. They permit adaption of the umbrella to different uses: for example a dark cover which is rain proof and water proof may be replaced by a lighter material which is porous for the wind, to act as a sunshade.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,535 of Sadowski et al issued Dec. 25, 1990 teaches an umbrella having a fabric cover equipped with rings individually secured at spaced points about its periphery, and co-operating, grooved connectors at the end of each rib. A plurality of Velcro (trade-mark) flaps are secured to the underside of the fabric for wrapping about the ribs. In the center of the cover a hole is provided through which the top end of the umbrella shaft passes, the cover being frictionally held on the ribs, in this area, by means of a ring which is releasably retained in a groove about the shaft immediately adjacent the ribs. In this way both the periphery and central parts of the fabric are detachably secured to the ribs of the umbrella.
Other patents of general background interest are U.S. Pat. No. 2,920,634 of Malin issued Jan. 12, 1960; U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,779 of Johnson et al issued Nov. 19, 1991 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,438 of Dubinsky issued Jul. 13, 1993.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an alternative construction of umbrella with detachable cover which will facilitate detaching and engaging a cover to the frame and ribs of an umbrella.